Page 32 of Crazy in Love

“Not planning on it, she’s a special one.” He starts rubbing my back, and I try to hide my smile.

Turning the laptop back to me, my dad smiles. “She is, so don’t for a moment think that because I’m here-”

“Dad, I think he knows you will shoot him, and Uncle Ryan said the same thing.” My dad starts laughing, and I just shake my head at him. I thought dad would have mentioned something about his age, but he hasn’t. I can say Aiden doesn’t look thirty-five, but he looks a few years older than me.

“What does Aiden do?”

Now he might find out who Aiden is. “He... he owns Big Kane App company.”

“Aiden, may I have a word with my daughter in private, please.”

I give Aiden a nod to say that it’s okay, and I wait for him to leave. “Dad, before you say anything-”

“Saylor, he is too old for you.” My dad uses his I’m worried tone.

“I’m not disagreeing with you, but”—I take a moment to just think about the right words to say to him, without making him worry—“with everything going on with Hayley, I just wanted to smile, and-”

“Is everything okay with Hayley?”

“Nothing I can’t handle, and Aiden, well, he just makes me feel like a twenty-three-year-old that doesn’t-”

“You haven’t told him, have you?” Shaking my head, he continues, “I just want you to be happy, that’s all I want.”

“I am.”

My dad goes quiet, and I hate when that happens. I give Aiden a small nod as he pokes his head in, letting him know that he can come back into the room.

“Dad?”

“You seem… you look happy, and you know that’s all I want. So, Aiden, if you make her cry, I will be home so fast-”

“Dad.”

“Sir, I promise to make her smile every day.” Aiden moves closer, so that he is in the picture.

“Sweet pea, what is happening with the studio?”

“Let me just get paperwork.” Getting off the bed, I run over to the desk, then run back over. “So the studio I was going to get suddenly changed the price.” Aiden is leaning back on the headboard, listening with clear interest.

“What do you mean, changed the price? When I last spoke to you about it, you were going in to sign the papers.” My dad sounds annoyed, and I was the same when I looked through the paperwork. It was one price, then another when I was going to sign, and if I didn’t read the papers, they wouldn’t have even told me about it.

“They said something about rent. I’m talking to Anika’s dad in the morning, hoping he can give me some new places to look at-” Aiden taps my leg and points to the papers, then handing them over, I look back at my dad. “I’ve found this one place, but the rates are the same, and the room is smaller.”

“I’ve told you to get the perfect space, and I will give you the money.” My dad has been telling me this for so long. Never just buy what will work now, dream big, get the dream.

“There is one place, in the center too, but the rent is stupid. I mean, my house is cheaper.” I start laughing a little, because there’s no way I can even think about affording that place.

“Show me.” I look through the papers to see if I have that with me. “Now before you say anything, I know it needs a lot of work to it,” I say as I bring up the image of the studio. “That is the other reason I’m not jumping with excitement. I’m looking for a studio where I can get up and running fast.” This place will take me months to set up, with money I don’t really have.

Aiden takes the paper from me, and I look back over at my dad.

“Sweet pea, go look at them both, see which one feels right, then-”

“Dad, I don’t-”

“Saylor, see which one feels right. I was going to pay for it anyway, whether it be this one, or a different one. I have the money ready to send you, so you just tell me when.” I don’t say anything and just give him a smile. “Promise me, you will choose the one you love.”

“I promise. I also sent you a video.” My dad gives me a smile. He sends me yoga challenges, and I have to send them back once I finish them. I have to say this challenge was so easy.

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